Chapter 285: The Tavern Owner Who Peed Himself
For his first visit to the labyrinth city Aukladeo, Li Meng decided to keep a low profile.
He planned to stay overnight at the nearest tavern.
Half an hour later, he arrived at the "Top Tavern."
"Top Tavern? Boss, isn't this name a bit odd?"
At a roadside intersection, Li Meng found a tavern with a peculiar name.
"Whatever, let's go in and take a look!"
Amay dashed into the tavern without hesitation.
Ame and Amayee quickly followed.
Li Meng also entered the tavern right after them.
The moment he stepped inside, the noisy chatter overwhelmed his ears.
Behind the door was a hall filled with square tables.
Almost every table was surrounded by people.
Li Meng scanned the hall and noticed that the patrons were all adventurers with relatively weak abilities.
The strongest among them were at best intermediate level.
"It's you! Return my wallet!"
At that moment, a loud exclamation rang out.
Amay, like an agitated dog, rushed toward a young girl.
"You… let me go!"
The girl, caught by Amay, tried in vain to break free.
She looked around desperately for help from the adventurers at the nearby tables.
"Hey, do you think we don't exist?"
A group of adventurers at a nearby table stood up menacingly.
The commotion drew the attention of the entire hall, and the adventurers began to watch with interest.
"What, are you all in cahoots? Hmph, thieves!"
Amay fearlessly stared down the group.
"Thieves? What proof do you have?"
The lead adventurer reached for the hilt of his sword, striking a posture as if ready to fight.
"Proof?"
Amay turned to the girl she had caught.
"Where's my wallet?"
The girl avoided Amay's gaze nervously.
"I… I don't know."
"Don't know? Are you joking?"
Amay's glare intensified as she gripped the girl's hand even tighter.
If it weren't for the fact that the girl was young, Amay wouldn't have bothered with words.
The girl turned pale, trembling all over.
"Amay, let her go."
At this point, Li Meng stepped forward.
"But… Boss!"
Despite her protest, Amay reluctantly released the girl.
Once freed, the girl staggered and ran toward the exit.
"Hey, don't run!"
Seeing her escape, Amay wanted to chase her but was stopped by Ame and Amayee.
Amayee shook her head and looked at the boss.
By this time, Li Meng had approached the adventurers' table.
"So, you're saying you're the leaders of the pickpockets?"
Faced with the towering Li Meng, the five adventurers exchanged uneasy glances.
The lead adventurer snorted coldly.
"I don't know what you're talking about. Get lost and stop bothering us while we drink!"
Li Meng picked up the wine jug on the table and poured its contents over the lead adventurer's head.
The pungent wine trickled down the man's face.
The adventurer hadn't expected such a move from Li Meng and froze in shock.
"You bastard, you're asking for it!"
Enraged, the adventurer drew the sword from his waist with a loud swish.
"Stop!"
A booming voice suddenly echoed through the tavern, silencing the clamor in the hall.
A burly man walked over.
He had a rugged face marked by two ferocious scars and stood nearly 2.3 meters tall.
His burly frame resembled a hunchbacked human.
Although his facial features were human-like, his thick fur revealed his identity as an ape-man.
The big guy loomed over Li Meng.
"Listen up, kid. This is a tavern. I don't care about your grudges, but anyone causing trouble here will answer to me. Whoever strikes first will be my enemy."
He shot a threatening glare at the adventurers at the table.
The adventurers hesitated, and the lead adventurer sheathed his sword.
But Li Meng suddenly moved.
His right hand shot out like lightning and grabbed the lead adventurer by the throat.
The smooth, bald head under his hood expanded grotesquely, revealing a massive mouth that seemed bottomless.
In one bite, he tore off most of the adventurer's body.
Blood sprayed everywhere, drenching the other adventurers at the table.
"Ah!"
The horrifying sight made the remaining adventurers scream in terror.
Li Meng took another bite, swallowing the rest of the man's body.
The gruesome scene paralyzed the remaining adventurers with fear.
"Monster! Monster!"
They scrambled to flee, but white cloth strips shot out from Li Meng's black robe, binding them like whips.
Despite their struggles, they couldn't escape and were dragged toward Li Meng.
One by one, he devoured them with his terrifying mouth.
The ghastly chewing sounds echoed through the hall.
Everyone in the tavern was frozen in fear, including Amay and her companions, who had never seen their boss so terrifying.
At last, Li Meng turned to the burly ape-man.
Even the big guy was stunned, retreating in fear until he collapsed onto the floor.
He trembled uncontrollably, and a foul stench wafted from his pants.
The once-proud tavern owner, a swordmaster, had been scared to the point of wetting himself.
Li Meng, unfazed by the horrified stares, found the moment exhilarating.
After all, he was a goblin—a true monster.
Low-profile tactics were unnecessary for someone as powerful as he had become.
In this world, strength was the only way to avoid trouble.
Feigning weakness would only invite it.
"Monster! Ah! Monster!"
A female adventurer's piercing scream shattered the silence.
Her panic triggered a stampede as the others fled.
The commotion spilled onto the street, causing further chaos.
"Hey, are you still doing business? How can a Swordmaster act so cowardly?"
Swordmaster was the term used by non-human races for warriors, equivalent to a Sword King among humans.
Li Meng sighed at the ape-man tavern owner's disgraceful behavior.